Calculating or display device



Jan. 14, 1941. R. P. ROSS CALCLATING on DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 14,-1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l gime/Mm Zp/z Raij Jan. 14, 1941. R. P. Ross2,228,403

CALCULATING OR DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 14, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,406no 7,040 7.10 w75 5479 .man 7,595 .76 1,297 1,545 3,870 '7,7 #40 l DE@gj izo 5oz 4,79 m s Jan. 14, 1941. R. P. Ross CALCULTING 0R DISPLAYDEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14, 19159 @www aZ/v/zPRo 255 585,161 raz 1,050

m., w 6M W Z.. I. Z 830 5m uw 392/ 4 5 5 M12 Jan. 14, 1941. R. P. RossCALCULATING OR DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 14, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4:Tramway l Jan. 14, 1941. R. P, ROSS 2,228,403

' cALcULATING on DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 14, 1939 5 sheets-sheet 5Jaz Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to calculating or display devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively simplecalculating or display device which includes a housing and a pluralityof slide members mounted in the housing, the slide members and thehousing having correlated indicia.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel housing and meanscarried by the housing for slidably supporting a yplurality of slideindicia bearing cards within the housing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a housing .and aplurality of slida'ble indicia bearing cards in the housing andseparators interposed between the confronting faces of adjacent cards soas to not only facilitate the sliding movement of one card but also tohold the remaining. cards against movement when one card is movedlongitudinally of the housing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of thiskind which may be constructed out of relatively stiff iibrous material,such as cardboard, stiff paper or even metal, the housing being of sucha construction that it may be readily stamped out of a single sheet ofmaterial and then bent into proper configuration.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kindwherein certain of the cards are provided not only with indicia which iscorrelated to cer-tain indicia carried by the housing but certain of thecards are also provided with distinguishing colors which are correlatedwith similar colors carried by the housing and upon which correlatedindicia is positioned.

To `the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear,the invention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations and modiiications may be resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of a calculating or display deviceconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a detail rear elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sec-tional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1with all but one of the s1iding cards removed from the housing,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the housing in blank form,

Figure 6 is a detail front elevation of the slide cards removed from thehousing,

Figure 'I is a detail rear elevation of one of the slide cards,

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the spacer members between the slidecards,

Figure 9 is a detail front elevation of a modified form of this device,

Figure 10 is a detail front elevation of the slide cards associated withthe device shown in Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a detail front elev-ation partly broken away yand insection of a further modified form showing the housing in open position,

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of the housing shown in Figure l1with the slide cards mounted therein,

Figure 13 is a detail front elevation of the slide cards partly brokenaway associated with the device shown in Figures 11 and l2,

Figure 14 is ya transverse sectional view of the housing shown inFigures 11 and 12 with the slide cards removed therefrom,

Figure 15 is a detail plan view of the housing shown in Figures 1l and12 with the housing in blank form,

Figure 16 is a perspective view partly broken away of one of the endmembers associated with the housing shown in Figures 11 and 15, and

Figure 17 is a fragmentary perspective View of the housing reinforcingmeans for use with the housing shown in Figures 1, 2 and 9.

Referring to the drawings and iirst to Figures l to 8 inclusive, thenumeral 20 designates generally a housing which as shown in Figure 5 isprovided with a front wall 2|, a back wall 22 which is formed integraltherewith, being connected together by an end wall 23. The end wall 23is provided with a plurality of notches 24 between which the end wall 23is formed into relatively narrow divider strips 25. When the housing isin blank form the notches 24 assume the configuration of substantially arectangle with rounded corners 26. The sheet from which the housing isformed is bent along scores 28 and 29 which are disposed in parallelrelation to each other so that the end wall 23 will be disposed at rightangles to the front and back walls 2| and 22 respectively.

The back wall 22 at the end thereof opposite from the end wall 23 or atthe lower end is provided with an end wall 30 which projects beyond theback wall 22 and a score 3| extends between the back wall 22 and the endwall 30 so that the end wall 30 may be readily bent along the score 3|at a right angle to the back wall 22. A securing flap 32 is formedintegral with the end wall 30 and a second score 33 extends along thelength of the end wall 30 so as to facilitate the bending upwardly ofthe flap 32 which is later adapted to be adhesively secured to the frontor back face of the front wall 2| as shown in Figure 1.

The back wall 22 is provided on its longitudinal edges with extensionsor side wall forming members 34 forming the opposite edges or sides ofthe housing 2|) and a score 35 extends between the ad- Cil jacent edgeof the back wall 22 and a member 34 so that the side member 313 may bereadily bent right angles to the back wall i". A securing flap is formedintegral with each member Si'. and a score 31" extends between theadjacent or inner edge of the flap 35 and the adjacent edge of the sidewall member 3ft so that the side ap 3b may be bent at right angles orinwardly to a position confronting the front or back face of the frontwall 2i and then may be adhesively secured to the front wall 2i. Thatportion of each member between the scores 37 forms a side wall or thehousing.

When the housing 2li is in assembled forni the housing is closed on allsides and the only access which may be had to the interior is throughthe slots or notches 2li in the upper end wall 23. The slots 2: haveportions thereof arranged in the upper ends of the front and back walls2|, 22. 'Ine housing 2G is provided in the front wall 2| with aplurality of transversely aligned and spaced apart rectangular windows38 and the housing is also provided in the back wall 22 with a pluralityof transversely aligned rectangular square or circular windows 39 whichare adapted to be positioned in substantial registry with the windows'58.

The housing 25 is adapted to have positioned therein a plurality ofslidable calculating or indicia displaying cards 46 which aresubstantially rectangular in plan and the cards 6U are provided adjacentthe inner ends thereof with a plurality of transversely aligned spacedapart rectangular, square or circular openings 4| which when each cardis in its innermost position are adapted to register with the openings36 and S9 of the housing 2S. Each card d is provided at its upper edgewith an elongated tongue or strip which is adapted to permanentlyproject slightly through a slot 24 at the upper end of the housing whenthe card is in its innermost position. The strips or tongues whichextend from the cards 43 are indicated at 42, 2a, 42D and 2o. Each card45 on one face thereof is provided with indicia 43 extending downwardlyfrom each window or opening LH, which indicia is correlated with indicia44 carried by the strip or tongue extended from the card. Each card (la)is also provided on the opposite face thereof with indicia 45 which iscorrelated with indicia 116 carried by the adjacent face of the tongueor elongated strip extended therefrom. As shown in the drawings, eachcard 49 is provided with a differentiating color from the remainingcards, and its tongue from which it extends is provided with a colorsimilar to the card from which it extends. The tongues 42a, 42D and 42ehave colors different from each other from the color tongue 52.

The front wall 2| of the housing 29 is provided with at least twocolored strips l and 48 which are colored similar to the colors carriedby the tongues 42h and 42e and the cards associated -ierewith The frontwall 2i is also provided with indicia 49 in the colored strip 47| andindicia 5i] ni the colored strip 43 which is also associated with orcorrelated with the indicia carried by the cards 43 which are attachedto the strips or tongues 42D and 42e, and are of corresponding colors toindica-te correlation between these tongues and indicia.

The front wall 2| at a point below each opening or window 38 thereof isprovided with indicia 5|, as shown in Figure l, and is also providedwith indicia 52 positioned above each window opening 38. A dividing line53 divides at least two of the windows 38 from the remaining windows andindicia 54 is positioned above the indicia 52 in the space at one sideof the line 53 and indicia 55 is positioned on the opposite side of theline 53 above the indicia 52.

The iront wall 2| above the indicia 51 and 55 is provided with atransversely disposed line 56 and a pair of parallel lines 5l and 58which extend from the line 56 to the upper end of the front wall 2|. Thefront wall 2| is also provided with indicia 59 positioned closelyadjacent the lower edge of each notch or cut-out portion 24, whichindicia is associated with or correlated with the indicia 44 carried bythe tongues of the cards within the housing 20. As will be noted inFigure l, the narrow strips 25 between the tongues :22, 42a, 42o and 42ehold the tongues against lateral movement and provide guide means forthese tongues.

The back member E2 is provided with indicia Si) below at least one pairof the window openings 39 and a vertically disposed dividing line 6|extends longitudinally of the back 22 above and below the windowopenings 3Q. The back 22 is also provided with indicia 52 above theudndow associated with the indicia 63 and on the opposite side oi theline 6i, indicia 63 is provided which is associated with the indicia 45on the card 4Q.

The back 22 may also be provided with blocked area defined by the lines64 below the cut-out portions and indicia 65 is positioned in theblocked area S4 which is associated with each tongue member 5.2 and withthe indicia 43 on these tongue members.

In order to provide a means whereby the cards lli; may readily beshifted longitudinally of the housing 20 and in order vto preventbending of the cards 4U and the tongues d2, I have provided a slip sheetEG which is substantially rectangular:` in plan and provided with asubstantially diamond-shaped opening 61 in the central portion thereof.This opening 67 has a transverse width substantially equal to thedistance from the outermost o the windows 38 and 3S and the opening 67also extends above and below the upper and lower edges of the windowopenings 38 and 3.9. By providing the upwardly and downwardly convergentmargins of the opening El, the

cards 49 will more readily slide longitudinally of the housing 25. Thisis accomplished by the novel configuration of the opening E1 which has atendency to prevent transverse buckling oi the cards 4Q and if suchcards do buckle or bend the slip she-ets will tend to straighten thecards out as the cards are moved longitudinally of the housing 2B.Another important function of sheet 65 and opening 6T is to prevent anyrough surface of a moving card from tending to move either adjoiningcard. Each slip sheet 615 is provided at the upper end thereof with apair of spaced parallel oppositely disposed extensions of like formhaving their outer side edges flush with the side edges of the slipsheet. The extensions G8 are adapted to extend to the upper end wall 23at the opposite ends of the end wall 23 thus providing a cut-out portion69 between the extensions |58 so that the ends of the slip sheets i513will not project above the lower edges of the slots 2A in the front andback walls 2| and 22 respectively. Another purpose of the extensions isto prevent any appreciable longitudinal movenient of slip-sheet 66, thuskeeping the opening 6l in proper register with windows 39, alsopreventing movement of adjacent cards. There is a slip sheet 66positioned between the confronting faces of each pair of cards 40.

'Ihe housing 20 is provided at the longitudinal or side edges thereofwith channel members 10 which may be formed of metal which is bent inU-form, and at the bottom end of the housing V2l) a transverselydisposed channel member 1I is positioned and may be adhesively securedto the lower end wall 30. A U-shaped strip 12 is positioned within thebottom channel member 1| and at the ends thereof projects beyond theends of the bottom channel member H and projects into the adjacentchannel of a side channel member 'l0 as shown in Figure 17. In thismanner, a metal reinforcing frame is provided for the housing 20 so thatthe housing 20 may be constructed out of cardboard which may be ofrelatively light weight construction and at the same time the housingwill be firmly held against longitudinal and lateral bending by themetal frame of substantially U-shaped construction which extends alongthe side edges of the housing 20 and across the bottom thereof. Thecards 40 and the slip sheets 66 engage within the channel members 11i sothat these channel members 10 also constitute a guide means for guidingthe sliding cards in their movement within the housing 20.

In Figures 9 and 10 there is disclosed a slightly modified form of thisinvention wherein a housing 20a is provided which is substantiallysimilar to the housing 20. The housing 20a is provided with a front wall2Ia similar to the front wall 2| and with a back wall similar to theback wall 22 of the housing 20. The front wall 2Ia is provided `with aplurality of transversely aligned spaced apart windows 38a and in likemanner the back wall of the housing 20a is provided with openingssimilar to the openings 39 which register with the openings 38a. Theupper end of the housing 20a is provided with an elongated cut-outportion 24a. which extends from a point closely adjacent one side edgeof the housing 20a to a point closely adjacent the opposite side edgeand tongue members carried by cards 40a are adapted to project upwardlythrough the cut-out portion or slot 24a. In other respects the housing20a is similar to the housing 20. The housing 26a has a plurality ofsliding cards 40a positioned therein which are each provided with anelongated transversely extending opening or window Ma. This opening Mahas a length substantially equal to the distance from the outer edge ofone window 38a to the outer edge of an opposite window 38a carried bythe front wall Zia. The card 40a is provided with indicia on theopposite sides thereof similar to the indicia on the cards 40 and thecards 40a may be moved longitudinally of the housing 20a by means oftongue members 42d, 42e, 42j and 42g.

In the present instance, there are four cards 40a with a card 40aassociated with each of the tongue members. The tongue member 42d isprovided with an outer edge 13 which is parallel with the outer edge ofthe card 40 and offset inwardly therefrom and the opposite edge of thetongue 42d is inclined or tapered as at 14 from the upper end to thelower or inner end. In this manner the lower end of the tongue 42d iswider than the upper end and provides a reinforcing means for the upperportion of the card 40a. The two tongues 42e and 42f are formedsubstantially as a truncated triangle and the tongue no is formedsimilar to the tongue 42d with the outer/ edge 'l5 thereof parallel andinwardly offset with respect to the adjacent edge of the card 40a.

In Figures 11 to 16 inclusive, there is disclosed a further modificationof this invention wherein a housing 20h is provided. The housing 20h isprovided with a front wall 2lb and a back wall 22h which aresubstantially rectangular in configuration and these wall members areconnected together by an end wall 23D. A plurality of cutout portions24h are provided in the end wall 23h and these cut-out portions 24hextend downwardly from the upper edges of the front wall 2| b and 22h soas to thereby provide relatively narrow strips or extensions 25h betweenadjacent cut-out portions of the housing. The housing 20h is adapted tobe cut out from a blank as shown in Figure l5 which is bent along thescores 28o and 29h, thus providing the end wall 23h at one end of thehousing. The back wall 22h is provided on the opposite longitudinaledges thereof with laterally projecting side wall members 34h and ascore 35h is positioned between the side walls 34h and the adjacent edgeof the back wall 22h along which the end wall 34h may be bent at rightangles to the back wall 22h. A flap 36h is formed integral with eachside wall 34h and a score 31h extends longitudinally of the side wall34h and the inner end of the iiap 36h so as to facilitate bending of thefiap 36h. When in applied position, the flap 36h as shown in Figure 11is adapted to be positioned against the front Wall 2lb. The inner orouter surface of the flap 36h may be adhesively secured to the adjacentface of the front Wall 2 lb.

At the opposite end of the back wall 22D a lower end wall 30D isprovided and a score 3Ib denes the junction between the end wall 30h andthe lower end of the back wall 22h. A flap 32h is formed integral withthe bottom wall 30h and a score 33h is disposed between the adjacentedge of the lower end wall 30h and the inner edge of the flap 32h sothat the flap 32h may be bent upwardly to lie fiat against the frontwall 2lb where the flap is adhesively secured to the front wall. In thepresent instance the back wall 22h, the end wall 30h and the flap 32hare provided with rectangular openings 24e which are similar to theopenings 24h so that when theend wall 30h and the flap 32h are bent totheir normal position, the cut-out portion 24e will form guide strips25e at the lower end of the housing 20h.

The front wall 2lb is provided with a plurality of transversely alignedwindow openings 38h and the back wall 22h is provided with a pluralityof transversely aligned windows 39h which are adapted to register withthe windows 38o. The housing 20h is provided on the interior thereofwith a plurality of sliding cards 40h, each of which is provided with anelongated narrow tongue 32h similar to the tongue 42 and each card 40his provided with indicia on the oppositie faces thereof adapted to beexposed through the windows 38h and 39h upon movement of a selected card40h longitudinally of the housing 20h. The cards 40h are provided withopenings 1lb similar to the openings 4I which are adapted to registerwith the openings 39b when the cards 40h are in their innermostposition. In the present instance, one series of cards 40o have thetongues thereof extending through the cut-out portions 24h and anotherseries of cards 40h have the tongues 42h thereof projecting in theopposite direction and through the cut-out portions 24e. A'I'he outerfaces of the front and rear walls 2lb and 22o respectively are adaptedto have indicia thereon similar to the indicia carried by the front andrear walls 2| and 22 which latter indicia is associated with andcorrelated with the indicia carried by the opposite faces of the cards4Gb and also the opposite sides of the tongues 42h.

The housing 2Gb is provided on the interior thereof with a pair ofparallel U-shaped channel members '10b which may be formed of metal andthe opposite ends of the channel members or guides 10b abut against theend members generally designated as 16. The end members 'I6 as shown inFigure 16 are constructed in substantially tubular form will parallelopposite side portions Tl and inner and outer walls 18 and '19. Theinner and outer walls 18 and 19 are each provided with cut-out portions80 and the side walls 'l'l are also provided with cut-out portions 8lwhich are adapted to register with the cut-out portions 24h or 24erespectively.

In the use of this device, the device may be used for computinginsurance rates, premiums and other data connected with insurancepolicies particularly in cases where more numerous data is required thancan be accommodated by housing constructed as 20 or 20a, so that when aselected tongue 42 is pulled outwardly, the tongue 42 will show on thedesired face thereof the age of the prospect and the adjacent side orface of the card 40 will show the ages, premium rates, settlementoptions, annuities and the dierent periods for particular policies withthe rates for such periods. The housing may then be turned over and thedata on the opposite side of the card 40 exposed through the window ofthe housing will show the desired incomes and other data necessary to acomplete and full understanding of the terms of the policy. With adevice of this kind the agent can very quickly and easily show thecustomer the exact conditions which appertain to particular terms andparticular amounts, whereas in the past, it nas been necessary to obtainthis information from different portions of a book.

It will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited tothe use of this device for insurance computations as the device may alsobe used for other purposes for which calculations correlated to eachother are used.

I claim:

l. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a housing including topand bottom walls, front and back walls provided with indicia on theirouter faces and a pair of side walls, a yoke shaped reinforcing memberof channelled shaped cross section arranged within the housing havingits sides bearing against the inner faces of the walls of the housingand its bight bearing against the inner faces of said front, back andbottom, said housing being formed with a row of spaced parallel slots insaid top wall, a set of confronting independently shiftable indiciacarrying cards arranged within the housing and each provided with atongue projecting from its upper end, said tongues being free ofconnection to each other, each passing through and permanently extendedfrom one of said slots and carrying indicia for selected exposurethrough said slots at the front and back of the housing, said cardsextending into and being guided by the sides of said member, meansarranged in the bight of said member forming a support for and common tothe lower ends of the cards, said front and back wall being formed withaligned horizontal rows of spaced windows for exposing selected indiciaon said cards, a slip sheet disposed between the confronting faces ofsaid cards, seating at one end on said support and provided withextensions at its other end for bearing against the inner face of saidtop wall, each of said sheets being formed intermediate its ends andlengthwise thereof with an elongated substantially diamond shapedopening of greater dimensions than the dimensions of a row of windows,each of said cards being formed with a horizontal row of spaced openingsfor registry with said windows when the card engages said support, theindicia on said cards being arranged below the openings in the cards,the indicia on said front and back walls being arranged above and belowsaid windows, and said slip sheets having their openings registeringwith said rows of windows.

2. .in a calculating device a housing including front, back, upper,lower and a pair of side walls, said iront and back walls each beingformed with a row of aligned spaced windows below and parallel with itshorizontal median and with indicia on its outer face disposed above andbelow its windows, the windows of one row being directly opposite thewindows of the other row, a set of facewise opposed independentlyvertically shir'table cards within the housing carrying selecta ableindicia for exposure through said windows to correlate with indicia onthe housing, each card having integral with its top edge an upwardlydirected pulling tongue carrying selectable indicia for correlation withindicia on said housing, said housing being formed at its upper end withspaced openings for exposing selected indicia from a tongue on theupward pulling of the latter, said tongues extending upwardly throughsaid openings and being free of each other, a yokeshaped reinforcingmember of inwardly opening channel-shaped form arranged within thehousing, said member having its bight bearing against the inner face oi'the lower portion of the housing and constituting a holder for asupport, its

arms bearing against the inner faces of the front, back and side wallsof the housing, overlapping said cards and forming guides for the latterand with the free ends of its arms bearing against spaced portions ofthe inner face of said upper wall, a support mounted in said bightcommon to and for limiting the extent of the downward shifting of saidcards, each of said cards being formed with window forming means forregistering with said rows of windows when the card is seated on saidsupport, and a series of slip sheets arranged in said housing,alternately disposed in confronting relation with respect to all of thecards of said set and each formed centrally with an opening providingclearances for exposing selected indicia from said cards, said slipsheets corresponding in width to and being of greater length than saidcards, seating at their lower ends against said support and having theirupper end cutout to provide respectively clearances for the selectedindicia on said tongues and forwardly directed spaced parallelprojections for abutting other spaced portions of the inner face of saidupper wall.

RALPH P. ROSS.

